I Knew We Were Too Late
by Nature's Melody
Summary: Sequel to And Then I Was Gone. Carlisle PoV: Alice is gone, how will the Cullens cope with the loss?
1. Grief

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.**

**A/N: This is a sequel to And Then I Was Gone. I'm going to add some Jasper PoV and maybe even all of the other Cullens. This MIGHT become a story, depending on if people like it. So PLEASE review, it only takes a few seconds! All you have to say is "Good" or "Bad"**

I Knew We Were Too Late

I knew we were too late, but it was a hard concept to accept. Why would she do this to our family? Surely she knew how it would affect us, in fact, I was certain she knew. Would we make it through, would we be able to stay together, as a family? I pushed these thoughts aside as we reached the clearing and saw the flames. A choked sob came from Jasper and I drew him into my arms. For someone who experienced so many emotions a day, he rarely expressed his own. He sobbed dryly into my shoulder; her death would be the hardest on him. Would this send him into a recession? Would he hunt humans again? More importantly, would he leave our family?

Just then, I noticed I was sobbing also. The pain hit me harshly and a choked on my sobs. "Its okay Jasper. Let your emotions out," I murmured silently, and suddenly I felt what seemed like a thousand emotions. Loss, despair, heartbreak; to name a few. I took in the rest of my family. Bella was in Edward's arms, trying harshly not to sob, but not succeeding. Surely she must be thinking that crying was supposed to be in her past as a human, It was what I was thinking also. We were meant to be happy for eternity, not depressed and definitely we ere not supposed to lose someone so close to all of our hearts. Edward was holding onto Bella tightly, his face drawn in pain. Alice was the closest sibling to him, able to understand him more than anyone else. _We'll make it through. She wouldn't have left us without knowing our future. She knew we would make it. We can't let her death be in vain._ Edward looked me in the eyes, and I saw that my words helped him. I had to be strong for my family.

Rosalie and Emmett were sitting hand-in-hand next to the fire. Rosalie had a blank expression and I knew how hard this could be fore her to accept. She had always thought of us as infallible, nothing would be able to hurt us. Alice had proved her wrong. Emmett rested his cheek on Rosalie's shoulder. Every emotion showed on his face; surely it must mirror my own. I knew he wouldn't joke in a while; we would never be so carefree again. But he was strong, he would help Rosalie. He would make sure the two didn't leave our family.

Esme had her arms wrapped around her heartbroken son, sobbing. She had lost another child, it made her suicidal the first time. Surely she would fall into a depression, but I would try my hardest to prevent that. Jasper had stopped sobbing, but I kept holding him, my own sobs had ceased.

"Thank you Carlisle, for everything." He was staring into the fire and I just nodded.

"Please stay," I whispered, fearing my voice wouldn't be able to work. Jasper nodded and turned to me.

"It's what she would have wanted."

Edward and Bella walked over to join us. Bella wrapped her arms around Jasper and they sobbed into each other. Edward closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the two of them. He started humming a ballad. A song I had never heard before; it was full of sorrow, pain, but also, it was a song of hope. I knew he expressed his feeling best by music and would be spending the next week or so on the piano. He wouldn't stop until the song was perfect; a memory of Alice and her effect on our family. I wrapped my arms around Esme and we sank to the ground. We would need to get home soon, but for now, we would grieve for our daughter and hope that, wherever she was, she was happy.

_**A/N: Okay, so should I continue this and talk about how they cope with the loss? Please review! **_


	2. Twilight

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, my family has always wanted to live in Denali, so when I received the job offer, I needed to take it." I was standing on the house's front porch, listening silently to Cassie's confident assurances that the hospital would be fine without me, although I could hear the disappointment that she was trying to conceal in her voice. I wasn't going to be working in a hospital for a while, my family needed me. But the town of Forks didn't need to know of Alice's death, it would only bring us unwanted attention.

"Thank you Cassandra. I must go pack my belongings, but I'll stop by the hospital later tonight to gather my items from my office." I waited silently until she said her goodbyes and then I hung up the phone. I sighed, trying not to break down into sobs again. I waited until I had my emotions in control, and walked through the front door of my home.

At first glance, you would have thought the house was empty, but then I noticed Jasper sitting on the windowsill, staring out into the forest that surrounded the home. I passed him silently, not wanting to bother him while in his silent reverie. Bella was standing in the doorway, watching Jasper wearily. I raised my eyebrow at her and she looked at me solemnly. Her eyes were glazed over and I realized she was blocking everyone's powers with her own ability. I put my hand on her shoulder in thanks as I passed by her, and she just nodded.

Soft plinking of piano keys was sounding from the dining room. I walked through the doorway and leaned against the wall, watching Edward while he worked. His ballad was beautiful yet depressing. It rang melodiously, until he plinked a single, ugly note. He quickly erased a section on a sheet of music, and filled it in with different notes, and added more to the song, testing them out on the keys as he went.

I didn't know how long I watched him, although it must have been hours. For a time, Esme came and sat at my feet, watching Edward with interest. She leaned against my legs and had closed her eyes, letting the music envelope her and take her away from the sorrow and grief. I placed my hands gently on her shoulders. After some time, she kissed my hands and got up. She walked to Edward, kissed him on the cheek, and then left the house, quickly telling me that she was going hunting. I smiled infinitesimally at her, and then returned my full attention to Edward.

I felt my head tilt as I looked towards the piano, the feeling that something was missing was strong. I gasped in realization and I couldn't stop my shoulders from shaking as I tried to hold in my sobs. Alice was missing. Whenever Edward would create a new tune, she would sit on the ground next to the piano, humming along with Edward's melodies. My emotions were strong; I was glad Bella was saving Jasper from my emotions and Edward from my thoughts.

But just then, Edward finished his melody beautifully; it ended with a happy note, a note filled with hope. His shoulders shook as he turned to gaze at me. I could tell we both were thinking the same thing. Around this time, Alice would be hugging Edward, telling him how beautiful the song was and how Esme and Bella would love it. I walked over to him slowly and pulled him into my embrace. At first he was reluctant, he only felt comfortable being physically close with Bella, but then, he wrapped his arms around me and we both shook with silent sobs. I was happy that we seemed to have a breakthrough with our relationship; Edward finally seemed comfortable enough to share his emotions with me, but I was saddened that this happened because of Alice's death.

My eyes widened and I smiled weakly. Alice must have known our family would remain close even after her death. Edward and I remained like this for a few more minutes, before he released me from his grip. He walked into the hallway slowly, towards Bella, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and rested his chin on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and turned in his embrace to wrap her arms around Edward's neck. I walked back through the house and up the stairs, deciding to check on Rosalie and Emmett.

I paused briefly outside of their room, and then opened the door. There, waiting for me, was a peculiar sight. Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on top of their bed, staring into each others' eyes, reminding me of Alice and Jasper. Their gazes were full of love, compassion, but still, the pain was present. Without looking at me, Emmett's usually load, booming voice spoke softly.

"It's hard to believe she was here yesterday around this time, but never came back. Carlisle…" his voice broke off and he shuddered. Rosalie crawled over to him and pulled herself into his lap. His hands automatically wrapped around her frame, and they both closed their eyes, looking almost peaceful.

"We'll be fine Carlisle. She wouldn't want the family to break apart. Just give us a few days alone, and we'll be fine." Rosalie's voice came out roughly, hoarsely, as if it were hard for her to talk. I took a deep breathe and crossed the room. I gave both a kiss on the cheek, and then left without a backwards glance. We all had our ways of dealing with grief, and I was glad that the two had each other.

I walked back down the steps to see that nothing had changed. Jasper still stared out the window, and Bella was concentrating on not letting him feel anything. Edward just watched her silently. I sat down next to Jasper and looked at Bella. Her dull eyes gained some light, and then returned to a deep black. _She needs to hunt. Can you take her now?_ Jasper gasped silently as the emotion hit him, but he didn't look away from the window. Edward stared at Jasper for a few seconds, and then nodded. He silently pulled Bella out of the house.

"I'm fine Carlisle. I just need to… get used to this feeling," Jasper whispered so low, that I could barely hear his voice.

"And what feeling is that?" I asked, while he shot me a look with a raised eyebrow. "Now Jasper, don't tell me you haven't been paying attention in school; I know they teach you that it's always best to talk to people about your feelings," I chastised him smiling softly. He snorted and returned my smile.

"I feel lonely, for the first time in years, I feel the depression again," Jasper shook his head, a frown forming on his solemn face. He continued. "She took away the uncertainness, the guiltiness of my life. Now, I just don't want it to return. I want to remember her how she would want me to. But I don't know…" He shook his head again, and I wrapped my arm around his shoulder.

"She wouldn't have left us if she wasn't sure our future would be happy. She knew what she was doing, and I know for a fact she wouldn't have left you unless your future was bright. Just remember her, let her still be part of your life, just don't attach her memory with sadness or remorse."

Jasper stared into my eyes, feeling my certainty. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the window. "Its times like this that I wish I could dream again; I want to escape the reality. But you're right. You're always right."

I stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm going to hunt; I suggest that you do also. It won't help by starving yourself." Jasper nodded and followed me out of the door. I stopped on the porch and gazed at the sky. It was twilight; exactly a day had passed since Alice's death. For the first time in centuries, I wished that time would pass more slowly. Each minute, every second, took our family farther away from her, but she would always remain in our memories.

**A/N: Okay, so I'm going to continue writing this from Carlisle's PoV. I'm not sure how many chapters this will be, but I will keep writing until I have nothing left to write! Please review! You wouldn't believe how happy each review makes me!**


	3. Hope

Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good

Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life may also have much sadness and difficulty that remains far beyond yours. Were it otherwise, he would never have been able to find these words.

-Anonymous

A week had passed since Alice's death, and our house was becoming less morgue-like. Everyone moved at a slow, human pace; subconsciously revealing our grief. We all stayed in the main room during the morning and afternoon; sitting together as a family, sharing in our sorrow. Rosalie and Emmett had stayed in their own room for three days before joining the rest of our family. This time spent together was generally silent, occasionally we would murmur to each other about nonsense; we each wanted the mood to lighten.

I forced everyone to go hunting every other night. One reason I did this was that, if I didn't force them to, my family would remain in the house. Then, if they remained in the house, they would have to suffer from their emotions even more. While hunting, our predatory side dominated, saving us from our thoughts. Also, I needed to be strong for my family and make sure that they took care of themselves.

Bella was the most strained in our family. Each day, when we got back from our hunt, her eyes would be a raw orange color; some of her human blood still remained in her body. But, as soon as we entered the house, Edward would flinch or Jasper would look completely miserable from the reminder of Alice; so she took it upon herself to keep the two of them from suffering. Her eyes were constantly glazed over and when she would let her power stop for a few minutes, her eyes were a deep, pained black. I knew it took a lot of her strength to keep her power up for so long; the only thing that helped was satisfying her thirst. But that was hard to achieve, especially since she was still a newborn, who are constantly thirsty for the first few years.

Bella and I went hunting every night. Sometimes, another family member would join us, but mostly, the two of us bonded. She knew I was suffering more than I was letting the others know, but she never asked me about it. After we would hunt, she would pull me into her arms and she would comfort me. I didn't know how she knew, but she did. Losing Alice was tough on me; I knew I wouldn't, couldn't, be the same. I finally understood why Esme had tried to commit suicide when she lost her child. Luckily for me, I knew that my family needed me and I would never be able to take my life. I was in a light depression; it wasn't as bad as Esme's when she first changed, but it was still a depression.

I hid the depression from my emotions when I was around Jasper, and I hid it from my thoughts when I was around Edward. But Bella knew. She had always been perceptive, since the first time she saw our family, so it only made sense that she would notice.

Tonight, we were sitting at the dining room table, all enveloped in our own thoughts. I was thinking of a new place for us to move; we wouldn't be able to stay in Forks for much longer. Emmett's booming laugh brought me out of my reverie. Emmett's laugh was a little disconcerting; it was the first time in what seemed like forever that someone in out family had laughed a genuine, happy laugh. Jasper was smirking at him, Rosalie glaring playfully at him. I didn't know what had happened, but my mood instantly lightened.

Esme put her hand on my shoulder, and I looked at her, a grin was spread across her face. I felt my face beaming as I looked around the room again. Edward and Bella were gazing into each other's eyes. Bella was still using her power, but only because she didn't want Jasper to feel morose about her and Edward's feelings of love.

Jasper was leaning back in his chair, a spark of humor in his eyes; it was a refreshing sight. Rosalie was smacking Emmett on the head for the constant comments and innuendo that he stupidly made. His booming laugh reverberated throughout the house. Soon, everyone was joining in. My laugh was partially forced, but no one seemed to take notice. Bella caught my eye and she frowned slightly. Edward saw us make eye contact, and tilted his head curiously at me when I kept my mind blank. I smiled at him; he raised an eyebrow in suspicion and I rolled my eyes. That simple action caused everyone to laugh again and I relaxed into my chair. Soon, we all fell silent, obviously thinking about Alice and how much we missed her. But they were happy thoughts; not at all painful. Alice had brightened all of our lives, and we knew she wouldn't want us to associate her with remorse. As I contemplated our random outburst of joy during this dark time, one important thought stood out in my mind. _Our family has hope._

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I'm going to take a quick writing break, then resume writing Chapter 4. Hopefully it will be long, and it will probably be up tonight! Tomorrow morning at the latest! And of course, please tell me what you think of this chapter! **


	4. Bloodlust

A/N: Okay, so here's another chapter

**A/N: Okay, so here's another chapter. I just have to thank everyone who has been giving this story reviews, it's so awesome to see what people think of my story! Feel free to ask any questions you have about this, or send me any suggestions for something you feel should happen later in the story. You never know, I might incorporate it into my storyline!**

_I feel warmth spread down my throat,_

_ Throughout my frozen body.__  
__I know what you know now.__  
__I feel this hunger that brought you to me.__  
__And I smile at you knowing __  
__that for eternity,__  
__we shall share this need,__  
__this desire,__  
__this lust._

_-Unknown_

"Canada?" Rosalie looked at me quizzically. "I thought we were going up to Denali." My family was gathered around me, listening silently as I explained my idea of restarting life in a small town, called Lincoln, which was located in the Ontario province in Canada. Everyone seemed interested in the idea, except for Jasper. As soon as I had stated the word Canada, Jasper went to take a seat on the windowsill; lost in thought.

"I like the idea. I haven't been in Canada since we left Denali!" Esme smiled in delight. "We'll be able to visit Niagara Falls! I've always wanted to go there!"

"New York! Shopping!" Rosalie's eyes widened and she clamped her hand over her mouth. Everyone went silent, so after a moment, I continued.

"Yes, we'll be close to other cities. There is plenty of forest surrounding the town, and the weather is supposed to be a lot like Forks." Bella sighed and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

"What I wouldn't give for a little bit of sunshine…" she trailed off and saw that everyone was staring at her. She stuck out her tongue and crossed her arms across her chest. "What? Nobody has to _see_ me. I just want some good old sunshine." Bella hadn't been in direct sunlight since her change; more sunlight meant more human activity, and we didn't want to risk anything.

"Well, we'll be able to get a more secluded house in Lincoln, so that means more outdoor time for you," Edward said as he rubbed her arms soothingly. Bella's face immediately brightened at the thought.

Rosalie looked apprehensive when she talked, she obviously didn't want anything else to slip out that could cause more painful memories. "I'm fine with moving anywhere," Rosalie said slowly, testing each word. Emmett nodded in agreement and Esme squealed in delight.

"I'll start packing! Edward dear, can you buy a house? You know what I look for!" Esme was already up in our bedroom before she finished talking. Edward smiled and pulled Bella out of the room to the computer, where he would search for a nice, vacant, isolated house.

"When are we leaving and are we taking the cars?" Rosalie asked, worry in her tone. Rosalie was just asking about one car, Alice's Porsche.

"As soon as we can get a house, and yes, we will be taking _all _of the cars." Rosalie nodded solemnly and Emmett rubbed her back soothingly. They walked hand in hand into the garage. I looked towards Jasper, surprised to see him staring at me. "What's wrong Jasper?"

He sighed and stood up slowly. "Can we go for a walk?" I nodded and followed him out the door. It was a sunny day; the sun's rays reflected off of our skin until we reached the cover of the forest, where barely any light passed through the trees. "She always wanted to go to Canada." Jasper stopped walking eventually and turned to face me.

Understanding lit my face. "Why did she want to go to Canada?" I asked thoughtfully. I didn't recall Alice ever talking to me about Canada.

"She had a fascination with moose…" a smile lit Jasper's face. He paused; caught up in his memories. I waited patiently for a few minutes, and then cleared my throat. Jasper looked at me again and his smile turned sheepish. "She also wanted to see the Aura Borealis again, so she thought we could travel through Canada. Almost like a second honeymoon."

I smiled remembering that Alice and Jasper had only gotten married once, compared to the twenty or so times that Rosalie and Emmett had wed. "Were you two planning on taking the trip anytime soon?"

Jasper looked directly at me, but his eyes had a far-away look in them. "We were planning on going, just the two of us, once Bella didn't need our help. We would have been gone for a couple of weeks; she wanted to travel throughout all of Canada. I wanted to go also, just so that I could be with Alice." He choked on her name, but I was surprised at how relaxed and genuinely happy Jasper seemed to be. Jasper finally looked me in the eyes, no doubt feeling my surprise. "It doesn't hurt… as bad," he said while closing his eyes and leaned against a tree. "I _want _to talk about her. I just wish that I could tell her that I love her."

A single sob came from Jasper, so I pulled him into my arms. "She knows you love her; she loves you too. She's watching over us, I know she is." He tensed briefly, and then pulled away from my embrace.

"Thank you Carlisle, for listening. But I think I want to be alone for a little while." I nodded and walked back to the house. As I reached the porch, Bella ran through the doorway, laughing. Emmett sprang at her from behind and tackled her to the ground. His booming laugh mingled with hers as they rolled around on the ground; sparkling in the sunlight. Bella pushed Emmett off and stood; instantly freezing. I saw pain cross her face and she seemed to be concentrating on something. Then, Emmett and I smelt it. _Blood._

"Damn it!" Emmett mumbled as he grabbed Bella's arm; a hungry look came over her face. Before I could grab her, she pushed Emmett away and raced towards the scent.

"Bella, stop!" I yelled as we ran after her, knowing she was too fast for us. Edward shot past us, but knew that she had too much of a lead on him. He wouldn't be able to reach her in time.

**Jasper PoV:**

I punched a tree, uprooting it. Usually I didn't get angry, but that was before she left me. I sighed in frustration and turned towards the house. I felt a strong sense of confusion and pain coming from that direction; then I smelt a scent that made venom pool at the back of my throat. _Damn hiker._

"Damn it!"

"Bella, stop!"

I froze, realizing what was going on. Bella had gotten away from the family and she was heading straight for the unsuspecting hiker. I shot in the direction of the scent, hoping that I could meet her before she met the human. I was lucky; the human was walking in my direction. I reached the tree line and saw the hiker had stopped in the middle of a dirt trail; sitting on a rock, eating something out of a can. I tried to walk behind the trees to the opposite side of the trail; where I could sense Bella. Then I saw her. A demonic expression was on her face and I knew she wasn't in control of her newborn body. _Damn hiker._ I thought again as I realized that, to save him, the hiker would have to see Bella and me.

Bella sank into a crouch and impatience rolled off of her in waves. I noticed pain was still coming from her; her conscious trying to reason with the monster inside of her. She tensed to spring, and I shot onto the trail. I jumped at her, and we met in the air. The sound of two boulders crashing together echoed down the mountain and Bella growled viciously at me.

"Bella! Listen to yourself! You don't want to hurt him!" I forgot about the hiker, not caring about what he thought was happening. I sent calming waves at her, but she still struggled against me; her monster's resolve was weakening. I held her against my body; trying to stop her anguish. Edward rushed to my side and grabbed her legs. Fury became distinct as her monster decided to fight again. Emmett and Carlisle appeared then and all four of us carried Bella back towards the house. After a few minutes, she stopped struggling, and she became frightened, disgusted. Bella began to tremble.

It's okay Bella. This happened to everyone. You didn't hurt anybody; everything's okay," Edward tried to reassure her, but she wasn't listening. I tried to calm her down, trying to take away the guilt that was consuming her. Her eyes glazed as she stopped my ability.

"Bella, let me help," I growled at her. Edward shot me a dirty look, but Bella turned to look into my eyes. Slowly, her eyes returned to a black and I calmed her down. We arrived at the house and Esme was standing on the porch, looking warily in our direction. She let out a cry of pain as she saw Bella and rushed to meet us.

**Carlisle's PoV:**

I heard Jasper trying to reason with Bella as we reached the small trail. A young man, probably in his twenties, was sitting on a rock, frozen in place. Surely it was a weird sight, four men having to restrain a wild young woman. I turned my attention to Bella as I grabbed her thrashing limbs. When we were nearly to our house, Bella's inner demon gave up. She started to tremble in our grip and Edward tried to reassure her lovingly. Jasper must have seen that this wasn't going to work because he growled at her.

"Bella let me help." I turned to see her looking at Jasper, and her eyes unglazed. She immediately calmed and stopped trembling. We walked out of the trees, not letting go of our tight grips on her. Esme was waiting on the porch and rushed over to meet us.

"Bella! I'm so sorry; I wish I could have helped!" Bella smiled shakily at Esme. We marched her into the house where Rosalie was waiting in Edward and Bella's room. We gently placed Bella on the bed and Rosalie locked the door; giving us extra time to react if Bella came across another scent.

Edward sat on the bed next to Bella, stroking her hair as she turned away from us to look out of the large window. "Bella, nothing happened. You don't need to feel so horrible!" Jasper walked up to her and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. She glanced at his hand and Jasper let out a chuckle. "Don't even think of blocking me. Bella, everything is okay. It was a natural reaction." Bella let out a sigh and lay back on the bed.

"I'm okay. Seriously, you all don't have to stay in the room with me. I can't smell it anymore…" her voice trailed off and I smiled at her.

"Bella, we're here for you. We _want _to be here." She gazed at me and saw my genuine smile. She returned the smile and sighed again. "Why don't we all just relax, maybe listen to some music." Edward immediately turned on his large stereo; a Muse CD started to play.

"Interesting choice in music," Emmett laughed playfully, lightening the mood that hung over the room. He and Rosalie lounged on the bed next to Edward and Bella. Esme and I sat on the black leather couch. Jasper leaned against a wall.

"What? The band writes songs that completely reminds me of my life!" Edward teased back, smacking Emmett on the head.

"Kids, play nice," Esme growled playfully, causing everyone to laugh. Bella still seemed uncomfortable; we looked each other in the eye. Her eyes glazed as she prevented Edward from using his ability on me. I understood the look she gave me. _You help me with my problems, and I'll help you with yours. _I nodded, and we both relaxed. Only one thing was missing form our family, but I tried not to let my thoughts dwell on my pixie of a daughter.

**A/N: Okay, so what do you think? Okay, I totally did some research on small towns in Canada. Lincoln just seemed awesome; it kind of reminds me of Forks! This was the longest chapter so far! Did you mind the Jasper PoV thrown in there? And what's your opinion about the Cullens moving to Canada? Please review! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Roadtrip

A/N: Okay, so I have a quick little story

**A/N: I'm seriously going crazy. This week has been full of me laughing hysterically for no reason. But I'm glad I'm at least laughing, I've been in a really BIG pessimistic, depressing mood lately, and I think I'm starting to come out of it. I think a big reason for this is my reviewers. You gals (maybe even guys) don't realize how happy your reviews make me! Thanks so much! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

I stood in the entranceway of my home. I glanced painfully around the room; I was going to miss this house. It was full of reminders of our happier days; Bella's introduction to our family, her and Edward's engagement and marriage, and even the simple days of everyone sitting around, basking in each others' presence. Some memories were more painful, such as the week Edward had went to live with the coven in Denali, James and Victoria's obsession with Bella, and the horrid birthday party. But nothing compared to the reminders of Alice.

Nothing hurt me more than the thought of leaving her behind; the thought that she would never live in our new home, that she would never have a shopping rampage in Lincoln. Alice would forever be here, in Forks. Of course we would come back to visit; this house was too important to be forgotten.

I cast a final, long gaze throughout the room. I recalled how it had looked for the various occasions that we'd had, such as the graduation party that Alice had designed, and how it had looked for the various weddings that she had cared for so much. Of course her memory would be forever engraved in our minds, but leaving felt like I was committing a crime; it felt like I was abandoning her.

I heard a strangled sob as I flicked the light switch, darkening the room. I didn't realize it was my own until I had turned completely around. My family waited in front of the house as I shut the door for the final time; each of them had worried expressions, but they understood how I was feeling. They were each leaning against the cars they would take to Lincoln, and I was surprised to see Jasper standing in from of the canary yellow 911 Turbo.

I took control of my wmotions and raised an eyebrow at him. Jasper looked me in the eye and shrugged his shoulders; he was doing this for Alice. I knew he wanted to go into a depression, to protect his mind from the outside world. But he remained with our family; he would go to Canada and take Alice's beloved car. He loved our family, but he was doing this for her and only her. Jasper abruptly turned, and stepped into the Porsche.

Emmett sighed and gave Rosalie a quick kiss on the cheek before he climbed into his over-sized Jeep. Rosalie sat in her convertible and turned the radio all the way up, drowning out the conversation that Edward and Bella was having.

"Fine, I'll take the Audi," Bella sighed in defeat. Ever since her change, she had 'lost' the keys to her new car, and hadn't driven it yet. Edward smiled crookedly at her, and they shared a passionate kiss. Edward pulled away and turned toward his Volvo. Bella stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, and trudged to her dark green Audi TT. I held out my hand to Esme and pulled her towards my Mercedes. I opened the passenger door for her, and quickly raced to my side of the car. I jammed the keys into the transmission while Emmett revved his engine.

I looked into the rear-view mirror to see Emmett and Edward racing down the dirt road. Bella rolled her eyes and she pulled out behind Rosalie and kept a steady speed of exactly 100 mph; she was going slow compared to the others who were going at least 150 miles per hour. I waited as Jasper slowly put the keys into his transmission, and started the car. He backed into the dirt road, and he sped to catch up with Bella, where they drove side-by-side, talking to each other through their open windows. I stayed behind Bella's car, watching the scenery pass. Esme grabbed my hand gingerly and I turned to smile at her. For what seemed like hours, we just stared into each others' eyes. When I finally looked back at the road, we had already passed the Canadian border.

Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett had slowed down, and our family was driving together. Esme and I listened as our children joked half-heartedly; it was obvious that they missed Alice's quirky comebacks and cheerful attitude. The route that we were taking to Lincoln was an old highway. It was rarely used and today had horrible weather to be out driving in, so I didn't worry too much about Bella. Besides, she had rolled up her window, so, if we did come across a human, the smell would be very faint. Luck was on our side, we were already half way there; we would be in Lincoln by the next day.

Bella finally broke the peaceful silence that had consumed the family. "Guys, I think I need to hunt," she said, embarrassed. She hated being a nuisance, but it wasn't her fault that newborns needed to hunt more often than us, the more experienced. Bella glanced at me through her mirror and I smiled at her, pulling to the side of the road. One good thing about Canada was the abundance of forest and animals.

Everyone followed my lead, and Edward quickly went to Bella's side. "Are you in the mood for some moose?"

"What if he attacks me with his antlers? You know, those things can kill," Bella said, her face serious. Emmett stared at her as if she was crazy, but everyone else broke into laughter. Bella smiled awkwardly, there was no doubt that she would be blushing if she had retained the capability.

After we had all hunted, we got back onto the road. It was daybreak when we reached the small town of Lincoln. My car pulled ahead of the others and I lead them through the back roads of the town, not wanting to risk an encounter, even at this hour of the morning. Soon, we turned onto a dirt road, which we followed for a few miles. Finally, the road opened into a drive and we got the first glimpse of our brand new home.

It was a three story mansion; the large walls had an orange tint to them while the roof was covered with mossy bricks. The shutters and trimming were a very dark brown. A courtyard surrounded the house, filled with various trees and shrubs; Esme fell in love with the house before I had even parked the car.

**A/N: ARG! Sorry, I didn't plan on ending here. In fact, I hate ending this chapter here… I'm just going off of no sleep whatsoever, but I wanted to update before I hit the hay. Its 7 A.M. here, and I have to 'wake up' and 9 A.M. Yay! Two hours of sleep! Anyways, what do ya think of the house? I know this chapter sucks, but I'll have another chapter up by noon!**


	6. Vengeance

"Then, we can take out the mangrove tree, and replace it with a fountain. We'll add some flowers around it," Esme thought silently for a moment as she finished dusting our new bedroom. "Oh! Gerberas and Pompoms would accent the fountain perfectly!" Immediately, she put down the rag she was using and went to my laptop. I peeked over her shoulder and saw that she was on a Canadian florist's website, ordering her flowers. I chuckled at her enthusiasm. To be honest, I wasn't comfortable in this house.

I pecked her cheek lightly, not wanting to distract her from her work, and walked into the hallway and down the stairs. "Pick up the flag!" Emmett's booming voice reverberated throughout the house. "Jasper, Do it now!" I walked into the main living space and saw that Jasper and Edward were laughing at Emmett, who was scowling at them. "Come on you guys, this is serious! This means life or death!"

"Sure. Because taking a wimpy flag to my base must surely mean that I'll live for eternity," Edward retorted and Emmett's scowl twitched into a smile. "Oh, you just wanted to see who the best at this game was?" Edward smirked at Emmett's thoughts. I leaned against the doorframe, listening to their childish argument.

"Really, Emmett. Slayer shows a player's true skill, not _Capture the Flag_." Jasper rolled his eyes and walked to the game player to switch it off. Jasper stiffened and turned to see Bella appear besides me. She only looked at Jasper for a second, then turned on her heel and walked out of the house. Jasper excused himself from the room and followed her. Edward and I both frowned.

"What was that about?" Emmett asked, his eyebrows raised. "Sorry Edward. I guess you have some competition now that Jasper can play the pity card." We all grimaced briefly, but laughed at the joke.

"Maybe she needed some emotional counseling," I suggested. "She's been through a lot of stress lately, and I'm sure Jasper would like to vent some of his feelings to her." Edward nodded, accepting my theory. He looked at the door longingly, obviously wanting time with his wife, but he turned to sit at the piano in the corner of the room. He started playing Esme's tune, and she shouted her thanks down the staircase. Emmett turned to organize our various gaming systems.

"Well, I have a meeting at the local hospital that I must attend," I said with a sigh. "I'll be back later tonight, in time for a family hunt." Esme suddenly appeared at my side and looked into my eyes wearily.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back to work?" Her eyes searched mine for the answer, which was something I didn't want her to know. I kissed her lips lightly and turned to walk out of the door before Esme realized how painful this actually was for me. It wouldn't be the same, knowing that Alice wouldn't stop by the hospital once a week to discuss her concerns and interests with me.

"I'll be back soon!" I called over my shoulder as I slid into my Mercedes and drove away from our house.

**Bella PoV:**

I stared at the large, maroon walls of Edward and my new room. I scowled as I tried to arrange Edward's CD collection in the same order that it had been in Forks, but it was a hard thing to do, considering my only recollection of the CDs were from my human memories.

_Stupid!_ I mentally shouted at myself. I could remember so little; I knew that my father's name was Charlie, but I couldn't find a face to go with the name. I also knew that I had been hunted by a few vampires before my change, but again, I couldn't find any specifics in my mind. Edward's massive collection was a blur. I could see a title or two, but that was it. I sighed violently, giving up, and stalked towards the staircase.

"Really, Emmett. Slayer shows a player's true skill, not _Capture the Flag_." I heard Jasper say sarcastically. He stiffened as I stopped in the doorway. He felt my blur of confusing emotions. I caught his eye before rushing out of the house. I stopped in a clearing a few miles away, far from the hearing of my brother and husband. Jasper walked cautiously into the clearing, obviously curious about my behavior. I sighed again and sunk to the ground.

"What's wrong Bella? Your emotions are going haywire!" Jasper exclaimed as he leaned sat down next to me, putting his arm over my shoulders. I leaned my head against him and let a sob escape.

"It's hard Jasper. I also knew being a newborn would be tough, but now… I can barely remember anything and I feel like," I paused as another dry sob escaped my throat. "I feel like it's my fault."

Jasper immediately stiffened and his eyes widened. "What do you think is your fault?" He growled furiously, for he already knew my answer.

"Alice's death," I spat at him, for he was unconsciously sending my waves of anger. "Ever since I've met your family, I've been nothing but trouble. Rosalie was right about me from the beginning! If I had stayed away… if I hadn't jumped from that cliff…" I couldn't continue. Jasper was calming down and he was holding me tightly.

"You know that's not true. You've done so much for our family, so much for Alice! If we hadn't me you, well, life would have been much more boring, and a lot less enjoyable. You've completed our family Bella, never doubt that!"

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "_Completed the family?_ What do you mean? Why are you in denial? It's my fault everyone's so miserable. Alice is gone Jasper, because of _me._ The Volturi fought for me, for my power. I should have just gone to Italy; I shouldn't have made everyone fight for me!" I tried to convey my emotions to Jasper, but he just sent me calming waves. "Believe me, for I speak the truth!"

**Jasper PoV:**

"You know that's not the truth. We would have fought for you no matter what! Bella, you have to understand. Alice made the decision to die. She knew she didn't have to, but she saw an opportunity to save us all, and she took it! You were never to blame!" I sent her waves of calm, trying to force her to see the lie she was saying. But she was Bella, which meant she was stubborn. Sobs escaped the both of us as I held onto my sister; we were both wallowing in pity for each other.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought this up. I know it's hard for you," Bella mumbled into my shoulder. She was right, this did hurt me. Every time I even thought of Alice, my chest burst into a thousand burning pieces. Surely this was how Bella felt when Edward had left her, when she had been abandoned.

"No. I _want _to be able to talk to you about this. You're my sister, I love you, and it hurts me to see you like this!" I consoled her, and she finally allowed me to take away her guilt, her pain. We sat with each other in complete silence. For what must have been a few hours later, Bella finally spoke.

"Are you going to hunt her?" She asked simply and I nodded. Bella let out a small moan of pain. "You can't go alone. You need me!" She was referring to Jane's power.

"Edward wouldn't want you to go."

"He wouldn't want me to go _alone _and besides, both of our brothers would want to come with us."

"What of our parents and Rosalie?"

"They'll come, they want revenge also. She hurt our family, so Jane will pay!" Bella's voice was full of malice, it surprised me.

"We'll hunt her, as a family," I agreed and got to my feet. "Carlisle will be home soon. Let us talk to them after our family hunt." Bella nodded and I pulled her to her feet.

**Carlisle PoV:**

I pulled into the driveway and saw my family waiting for me on the porch. "How was the meeting?" Esme asked as I got out of my car.

"Surprising delightful. These hospital workers are even kinder than the residents of Forks!" I replied with a small smile, which turned into a frown when I noticed the tension that hung in the air. Edward was wearily eyeing Jasper and Bella, who were staring at each other. Rosalie and Emmett seemed perfectly at peace, but Esme's eyes held nothing but concern for me. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her neck. "I'm fine. I just want to be with my family," I mumbled into her hair as she shivered in delight.

"All right you two. After our hunt, you guys need to get a room!" Emmett boomed and we all joined in with his laughter. Everyone thawed out as we ran into the forest together. I immediately smelled a group of four deer close by; Jasper departed, quickly feeding. Edward and Bella followed his lead, and hunted a small pack of wolves. Emmett and Rosalie eventually found some grizzlies while Esme and I settled for some elk. I buried the animal's body and met the family back at the house. Everyone was smiling, happy to spend the time with each other. We all settled with our partner on separate sofas or loveseats. Jasper was alone, but seemed at ease.

I noticed Bella catching Jasper's eye, and he cleared his throat. "We need to plan," Jasper said simply.

"Plan?" I asked, unsure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Jane," Jasper hissed the name and we all grimaced.

"Okay, what do you have in mind?" Emmett asked eagerly. I glanced around the room, noticing everyone wore of the same expression, they wanted vengeance. Although I knew that Jane had to die, I couldn't bear the thought of another family member succumbing to the same fate as my daughter. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to see that it was Edward who was consoling me.

"Can we talk?" I asked him. He nodded and we walked out of the house together.

**A/N: Okay people! I hope that you like this chapter; I'm a little rusty because I haven't written in so long, but I hope it's not horrible! As promised, this is only the first of **_**at least**_** three chapters today! I'm hoping to get out five chapters, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. **

**Anyways, was the change of PoV okay? I wasn't sure of how to handle the discussion, so I thought I'd just keep it all in one chapter. Please review!**


	7. Packing

We walked in silence for a while. Edward kept glancing sideways at me, but I ignored the question in his eyes. He just sighed and grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop walking. "I thought you wanted to talk."

"I do" I replied softy and I looked up into the sky. Edward sighed again as I fell silent.

"It would help if you actually told me know what's on your mind… instead of blocking your thoughts."

I turned to face Edward, and I saw the same concern in his eyes that Esme had shown earlier. "It's tough Edward, you know that." He just nodded and waited for me to continue. I was silent for a few minutes, trying to gather the thousands of thoughts rushing through my head. "It was hard enough moving away from our home, into this house, and now," my voice broke as the single thought rushed through my mind. _Our family is going blindly into danger. We'll just lose someone else, and I don't think anyone, especially me, could handle that so soon after Alice._

"Carlisle, you know it won't be like that!" Edward was surprised at the direction my thoughts were going. "We won't lose each other; Jane won't be able to handle the seven of us, especially with Bella helping." He placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked at him doubtfully.

"How do you know? I've never felt so… uncertain before. I've never feared for our family's safety more that I do now!" Edward just shook his head in defiance.

"Father, you don't really believe that we all aren't fearful? We know the possibility, but are refusing to see it because it's not a valid concern. Carlisle, we _need_ to get Jane, and you know that we could hunt her easily, without getting hurt." I sighed again.

"I see the truth in your words, but it doesn't help my worry. Edward, my son, you've always helped me. But this time, I'm inconsolable. The very possibility of another death has imprinted on my mind…" I shook my head. "No matter how I look at the situation, I know that we will hunt her as a family, and I know we will kill Jane. But I still can't shake the feeling, no matter how silly it may be."

"Carlisle, you're our father. It only makes sense that you worry about our safety, especially after the past events. But have faith in us!" Edward's excitement seemed to be growing as I acknowledged his point. "Jasper is thinking about leaving by tomorrow night. The most difficult aspect of this whole thing will be finding Jane! The rest will be easy!"

My eyes widened in surprise. _So soon?_ I asked Edward through my thoughts, and he nodded. "Well, I guess we have to start preparing." I turned towards the house but Edward stopped me.

"I'm always here Carlisle, if you need to talk. I know this is hard for you." I smiled my thanks and we walked back to the home together.

Esme was perched on the courtyard's short, granite wall. Her expression turned from worry to relief as she saw the smiles Edward and I had on our faces as we came out of the forest. "We're leaving tomorrow at twilight," Esme sang in excitement. "We're going to Forks to try and get Jane's scent, and then we'll hit the road!" Her enthusiasm was catching and I found myself ecstatic.

I took her hand in mine and pulled her into my arms, carrying her into the house and up the stairs into our room. I put her down on our bed and we sat with each other, taking in each others' features, enjoying the time alone. Esme put her hand on my cheek, and I closed my eyes, leaning into her touch.

"Are you okay with going?" Esme asked and I sighed, pulling her back into my arms. She rested her head against my chest and I was content.

"Now I am. I just worry, but we'll be okay."

Esme smiled largely and I kissed the top of her head. She shivered again and I laughed. "What? We don't spend nearly enough time together lately." She giggled as she raised her head and our lips met lightly. I laughed again.

"I can delay my return to the hospital if that's what you want. I wouldn't mind spending more time with you." She laughed again and rose off of the bed.

"I'm glad you would sacrifice others lives for me! But I don't expect you to do that. We'll just take a vacation, when this is all over." Esme began to grab outfits out of a drawer, and neatly tucked them into suitcases. "How long do you think we'll be gone?"

"Weeks. But it doesn't matter; we can always go to shops while on the road." I started to gather some of my own clothes and placed them on the bed. Esme folded the different articles and we chatted lightly until everything was packed. I took both of our bags done to my Mercedes and was surprised to see Rosalie sitting on the car's hood.

"Carlisle," she acknowledged me with a nod, but seemed to be lost in her thoughts. I placed our bags into the trunk and then turned to lean against the hood next to Rosalie. "So, are we only hunting Jane? Or are we going to take out the rest of the Volturi members?"

I stared at her until she looked me in the eyes and I shook my head. "Only Jane…," but I paused and added, "for now. I'm not sure if we'll continue, but Jane is our most important target."

Rosalie nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. For a while, I thought you wouldn't approve of our plans." I grimaced, was it really that obvious?

"I still don't enjoy the idea of killing her, but, even if I didn't approve, it wouldn't have stopped any of you."

Rosalie laughed lightly, "That's true." I smiled at her and we both stood. "Emmett and I are already packed. We're going to be taking the jeep and will go ahead of everyone to make sure that Forks is safe. We don't want the werewolves getting involved…" Rosalie trailed off but a malicious smirk played across her face. "Although it would be fun to have a little warm-up before we meet Jane."

"Rose, don't start anything with them please," I sighed, exasperated. Rosalie laughed again and Emmett came into the garage laughing too.

"Don't worry dad, I'll keep her under control," he boomed as he pulled Rosalie over his shoulder. She scowled and started hitting his back, but that only made him laugh harder as he walked her up towards their room. I chuckled as I followed them into the house. Esme was in the main space, putting covers on the furniture.

"It's a shame that we only just got settled in the house a few days ago," she said solemnly. I kissed Esme's cheek and continued up the stairs. I stopped outside of Bella and Edward's room, where I heard growling. I knocked on the door and Edward called, "Come in!"

I entered the room and saw the couple wrestling. Bella, of course, was stronger, but Edward was putting up a decent fight. Bella laughed as she jumped onto Edward's back where he couldn't reach her. Edward growled playfully and tried to grab Bella into his arms. I coughed once, and they both looked at me with sheepish grins.

"You two should start packing for the hunt," I stated simply and Bella's face darkened.

"Okay," she growled and walked into the closet, gathering suitcases. Edward cast a worried glance at her, but shrugged his shoulders as he pulled some shirts out of a drawer. I backed out of the room and continued to tour the house, making sure that we took anything we would need during the hunt. I found Jasper in my study, where he was looking at the various books that I had collected.

"Can I borrow some of these?" He asked as I walked in and I just nodded. Jasper pulled three books from the shelf and walked out of the room without another word. I frowned at his coldness, but understood his troubles. I pulled a few books from the shelf also, and continued back down the stairs. I made sure everything that was needed, was packed and that everyone was in a generally good mood.

**A/N: Sorry for the abrupt ending! Please tell me what you think! There are a few more chapters coming up today, so keep on the look-out! Please review! Thanks… :**


	8. Yay

Author's Note: Okay, thanks for all the messages/reviews people! I'm probably not going to rewrite most of the stories, but I will go through and make some edits to some chapters tonight (nothing major; just making sure everything flows) then tomorrow (saturday) night or early sunday morning, I'll have at least a chapter up for each story! Exciting huh?

(hopefully this is the last author's note for a while...)


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